I'd probably ask him "Am I practicing right". That's often my primary concern. I often feel drawn to the pretty colours, fun music and mind-bending philosophy of some Hindu sects, only to reflect on why I was drawn to them and to come back to the Buddhadhamma (as best as I understand it presently). It would be really nice for the Buddha to either say "Yes, you are practicing well, keep going" or "No, you are cultivating wrong-view [or whatever], try this instead...".
I suppose with the absence of the Buddha as a person I'll have to keep pestering you lot
if you could ask the Buddha one question
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Re: if you could ask the Buddha one question
Gawd almighty, its a joke, son, a joke. Time for you to give it a rest. You toot a one note horn, and its gone a bit flat.
Oh sorry tilt
Damm internet. hard to tell if people are joking or not lol
metta
“The teacher willed that this world appear to me
as impermanent, unstable, insubstantial.
Mind, let me leap into the victor’s teaching,
carry me over the great flood, so hard to pass.”
as impermanent, unstable, insubstantial.
Mind, let me leap into the victor’s teaching,
carry me over the great flood, so hard to pass.”
Re: if you could ask the Buddha one question
"How should I practice?"
Re: if you could ask the Buddha one question
Hi Mawk
Remember the words of the master:
Ben
Please don't forget that in the absence of the Buddha, you still have access to the Tipitaka, the vast commentarial literature as well as the works of modern day scholars and the efforts of our teachers and Dhamma friends. Everyone has worked tirelessly, not only for their own liberation, but also to preserve the Dhamma and expound it for the benefit of future and present generations.Mawkish1983 wrote:I suppose with the absence of the Buddha as a person I'll have to keep pestering you lot
Remember the words of the master:
Metta"Enough, Vakkali! What is there to see in this vile body? He who sees Dhamma, Vakkali, sees me; he who sees me sees Dhamma. Truly seeing Dhamma, one sees me; seeing me one sees Dhamma."
— SN 22.87
Ben
“No lists of things to be done. The day providential to itself. The hour. There is no later. This is later. All things of grace and beauty such that one holds them to one's heart have a common provenance in pain. Their birth in grief and ashes.”
- Cormac McCarthy, The Road
Learn this from the waters:
in mountain clefts and chasms,
loud gush the streamlets,
but great rivers flow silently.
- Sutta Nipata 3.725
Compassionate Hands Foundation (Buddhist aid in Myanmar) • Buddhist Global Relief • UNHCR
e: [email protected]..
- Cormac McCarthy, The Road
Learn this from the waters:
in mountain clefts and chasms,
loud gush the streamlets,
but great rivers flow silently.
- Sutta Nipata 3.725
Compassionate Hands Foundation (Buddhist aid in Myanmar) • Buddhist Global Relief • UNHCR
e: [email protected]..
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Re: if you could ask the Buddha one question
I would ask 'what do I do now?'
With Metta
Karuna
Mudita
& Upekkha
Karuna
Mudita
& Upekkha
- imagemarie
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Re: if you could ask the Buddha one question
Er..I'd hold up a flower. Am I on the wrong forum ?
- Spiny O'Norman
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Re: if you could ask the Buddha one question
If I get enlightened in this lifetime, what happens when I die?
Rick
( alright, so it's a big "if"! )
Rick
( alright, so it's a big "if"! )
Re: if you could ask the Buddha one question
The truth is a person so attached to their views would, when confronted by the Buddha himself, sooner question whether that was really the Buddha than change their views.
"You didn't give me the answer I wanted. How do I know you are really the Buddha?"
"You didn't give me the answer I wanted. How do I know you are really the Buddha?"
- Peter
Be heedful and you will accomplish your goal.
Be heedful and you will accomplish your goal.
Re: if you could ask the Buddha one question
The OP prolly needs changing to "If you met the Buddha and somehow knew that it was in fact the Buddha..."
- Peter
Be heedful and you will accomplish your goal.
Be heedful and you will accomplish your goal.
- retrofuturist
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Re: if you could ask the Buddha one question
imagemarie wrote:Er..I'd hold up a flower. Am I on the wrong forum ?
Metta,
Retro.
"Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things."
Re: if you could ask the Buddha one question
This such a good point! Personally I have to be sure my mindfulness is very strong before I can see just how much I am really listening, and just how much I am simply waiting to hear someone else reinforce my own views, to give those views validity, and if they don't - well I'm simply waiting (impatiently) for a chance to verbalise my views, and show the other person that they're wrong and I'm right.Peter wrote: The truth is a person so attached to their views would, when confronted by the Buddha himself, sooner question whether that was really the Buddha than change their views.
"You didn't give me the answer I wanted. How do I know you are really the Buddha?"
This seems to be at the heart of a good portion of the dialogue in the world. It accounts for almost all of the conversations I've ever had, anyway. In fact I was about to disagree with you, on the whole 'meeting the Buddha' note, but then whoop - there we go again.
Hope you have a great day!
Jack
"For a disciple who has conviction in the Teacher's message & lives to penetrate it, what accords with the Dhamma is this:
'The Blessed One is the Teacher, I am a disciple. He is the one who knows, not I." - MN. 70 Kitagiri Sutta
Path Press - Ñāṇavīra Thera Dhamma Page - Ajahn Nyanamoli's Dhamma talks
'The Blessed One is the Teacher, I am a disciple. He is the one who knows, not I." - MN. 70 Kitagiri Sutta
Path Press - Ñāṇavīra Thera Dhamma Page - Ajahn Nyanamoli's Dhamma talks
- jcsuperstar
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Re: if you could ask the Buddha one question
well, if you met the buddha you'd meet the buddha not some guy who may or may not be the buddha, so i think it's kinda implied you know he's the buddha
also he seems to be pretty good at explaining a point so i guess he could wrangle some understanding into most of us if we were to be sincere in listening
also he seems to be pretty good at explaining a point so i guess he could wrangle some understanding into most of us if we were to be sincere in listening
สัพเพ สัตตา สุขีตา โหนตุ
the mountain may be heavy in and of itself, but if you're not trying to carry it it's not heavy to you- Ajaan Suwat
the mountain may be heavy in and of itself, but if you're not trying to carry it it's not heavy to you- Ajaan Suwat
Re: if you could ask the Buddha one question
Aye, there's the rub.jcsuperstar wrote:...if we were to be sincere in listening
- Peter
Be heedful and you will accomplish your goal.
Be heedful and you will accomplish your goal.
- DNS
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Re: if you could ask the Buddha one question
Is it Dhamma or Dharma? (just kidding )
I would probably ask something like what retro said. Are the commentaries and the Abhidhamma accurate, important, necessary or where else might have the Theravada made any errors (if any)?
I would probably ask something like what retro said. Are the commentaries and the Abhidhamma accurate, important, necessary or where else might have the Theravada made any errors (if any)?
Re: if you could ask the Buddha one question
Is jhana needed for liberation?
-or- What's a nimitta?
-or- In my previous life or lives during your time, what was I spending my time doing? :cookoo:
One good thing is that he seems to have been willing to tell someone who asks a poor choice of question not to ask it, but to listen as he explained something else that made things clear.
Fig Tree
-or- What's a nimitta?
-or- In my previous life or lives during your time, what was I spending my time doing? :cookoo:
One good thing is that he seems to have been willing to tell someone who asks a poor choice of question not to ask it, but to listen as he explained something else that made things clear.
Fig Tree